Chapter 24.—42. Fortunatus of Thuccabori16701670 Thuccabori, Tucca or Terebrinthina, in ecclesiastical province of Africa Proconsularis or Zeugitana. For Bp. Fortunatus,
see Cypr. Epp. xlviii., lvi., lvii. (the first), lxvii., lxx. said: "Jesus Christ our Lord and God, the Son of God the Father and Creator, built His Church upon a rock, not upon heresy,
490and gave the power of baptizing to bishops, not to heretics. Wherefore those who are outside the Church, and stand against
Christ, scattering His sheep and flock, cannot baptize outside."16711671 Conc. Carth. sec. 17.

43. He added the word "outside" in order that he might not be answered with a like brevity to Successus. For otherwise he
might also have been answered word for word: Jesus Christ our Lord and God, the Son of God the Father and Creator, built
His Church upon a rock, not upon iniquity, and gave the power of baptizing to bishops, not to the unrighteous. Wherefore
those who do not belong to the rock on which they build, who hear the word of God and do it,
16721672Matt. vii. 24. but, living contrary to Christ in hearing the word and not doing it, and hereby building on the sand, in this way scatter
His sheep and flock by the example of an abandoned character, cannot baptize. Might not this be said with all the semblance
of truth? and yet it is false. For the unrighteous do baptize, since those robbers are unrighteous whom Cyprian maintained
to be at unity with himself.16731673 Cypr. Serm. de Laps. But for this reason, says the Donatist, he adds "outside." Why therefore can they not baptize outside? Is it because they
are worse from the very fact that they are outside? But it makes no difference, in respect of the validity of baptism, how
much worse the minister may be. For there is not so much difference between bad and worse as between good and bad; and yet,
when the bad baptizes, he gives the selfsame sacrament as the good. Therefore, also, when the worse
baptizes, he gives the selfsame sacrament as the less bad. Or is it that it is not in respect of man’s merit, but of the
sacrament of baptism itself, that it cannot be given outside? If this were so, neither could it be possessed outside, and
it would be necessary that a man should be baptized again so often as he left the Church and again returned to it.

44. Further, if we inquire more carefully what is meant by "outside," especially as he himself makes mention of the rock
on which the Church is built, are not they in the Church who are on the rock, and they who are not on the rock, not in the
Church either? Now, therefore, let us see whether they build their house upon a rock who hear the words of Christ and do
them not. The Lord Himself declares the contrary, saying, "Whosoever heareth these sayings of
mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock;" and a little later, "Every one
that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the
sand."16741674Matt. vii. 24, 26. If, therefore, the Church is on a rock, those who are on the sand, because they are outside the rock, are necessarily outside
the Church. Let us recollect, therefore, how many Cyprian mentions as placed within who build upon the sand, that is, who
hear the words of Christ and do them not. And therefore, because they are on the sand, they are proved to be outside the
rock, that is, outside the Church; yet even while they are so situated, and are either not yet or never
changed for the better, not only do they baptize and are baptized, but the baptism which they have remains valid in them though
they are destined to damnation.

45. Neither can it be said in this place,16751675 It is pointed out by the Louvain editors that this passage shows that Augustin considered our Lord’s precept to comprehend
everything contained in the Sermon on the Mount. Yet who is there that doeth all the words of the Lord which are written in the evangelic sermon itself,16761676 It is pointed out by the Louvain editors that this passage shows that Augustin considered our Lord’s precept to comprehend
everything contained in the Sermon on the Mount. at the end of which He says, that he who heard the said words and did them built upon a rock, and he who heard them and did
them not built upon the sand? For, granting that by certain persons all the words are not accomplished, yet in the same sermon
He has appointed the remedy, saying, "Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven."16771677Luke vi. 37. And after the Lord’s prayer had been recorded in detail in the same sermon, He says, "For I say unto you, if ye forgive
men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will
your Father forgive your trespasses."16781678Matt. vi. 14, 15. Hence also Peter says, "For charity shall cover the multitude of sins;"167916791 Pet. iv. 8. which charity they certainly did not have, and on this account they built upon the sand, of whom the same Cyprian says, that
within the Church they held conversation, even in the time of the apostles, in unkindly hatred alien from Christian charity;16801680 Cypr. Ep. lxxiii. 14. and therefore they seemed indeed to be within, but really were without, because they were not on that rock by which the Church
is signified.